What a mess: Franklin County cleans up after last week’s storms

Franklin County was declared a disaster area last week by Gov. Terry Branstad after powerful thunderstorms and heavy rains flooded rivers, damaged buildings and demolished trees throughout the area.

     Local officials have pegged damage estimates to private property and county-owned land at around $2 million in Franklin County. Numerous outbuildings and homes were hit by streamlined winds on June 16, while secondary roads and other infrastructure were affected by week-long torrential rainstorms. Around 10 inches of precipation fell on the county as residents and maintenance workers struggled to keep up.

     “All together, I think [damage] is probably around $2 million or more,” he said on June 20. “You see some of the sheds that got hit, some of those alone cost $80,000 to put up.”

     Franklin County Emergency Management Coordinator Thomas Craighton will assess damage to county-owned property today (Wednesday) with officials from the Iowa Department of Homeland Security. The evaluation will not include private property.

Read the full article in the June 25 edition of the Hampton Chronicle.